Latta talks alcohol and kids

Parents need to get rid of the notion that giving their children alcohol at home helps them to learn to drink properly, a leading New Zealand psychologist says.

Nigel Latta is coming to Taranaki to speak to parents and provide research that he said can help them make better decisions about how they talk to their kids about alcohol.

‘‘People have this idea, I’ll give my kid a beer at home or I’ll give them a sip of wine at home, so they can learn to drink properly, but that’s condoning it,’’ Latta said.

Research shows that the earlier kids are introduced to alcohol the more likely they are to have problems with alcohol, he said. ‘‘With my both sons I delayed drinking as long as I possibly could. It’s different with every kid. And sometimes the more you delay it the more they become obsessed with it. At some point you have to make a decision, but you should delay it as long as you possibly can.’’

There is only so much parents can do, because there were also the bigger social issues such as the hours alcohol can be sold and the places where it can be sold.

‘‘But it begins at home. It begins with the conversations you have and how you talk to your kids and your attitude towards alcohol,’’ he said.

Latta will be giving three free seminars, two in New Plymouth and one in Waitara, on May 11 and 12. To book go to www. eventspronto.co.nz/NPIS